Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: Fourth Fragment
by Malifacter0605-XxKINDSOULSxX
Summary: The side of the story left yet untold.
1. Prologue

_**The Badlands**_

**His vision was a foggy red mess as he unfolded his body. He stopped holding his knees, and as his posture unraveled, he began to fall to the ground. An unnatural birth was a suiting method for a beast to enter the world. He wondered what he was. As his feet hit the sandy ground, he was given an answer.**

**"Empty creature from Ventus riven..." The first raspy sentence to reach him began, "To you the name Vanitas shall be given."**

**Vanitas. That was an odd title. Even so, who was giving it to him? Names are given to pets, to children, to possessions. The blurred figure before him, he supposed, would have to have been his owner. He realized he'd paused in the conversation, and spoke, "Yes, master."**

**The man picked up a large mass from the ground. A body, Vanitas inferred. "Come, then," The figure demanded. Vanitas stepped along behind him. The two walked and spoke, Vanitas dragging his feet some.**

**"Who are you?" Vanitas asked hazily.**

**"Xehanort. Your creator," the man grimaced, "Your superior. I forged you from that heart of this boy. Ventus."**

**"But that's..." Vanitas put his hand to his chest, stopping and looking downward. Xehanort stopped a couple steps ahead. "Why was I in his heart?"**

**"You are a fraction of Ventus. The piece I took away. That he didn't know how to use." Xehanort waved his hand towards the boy. "But he is of the light. You are stronger. Do you know why?"**

**"Yes." He nodded solemnly. "The darkness." He looked towards Xehanort. "But my heart is fractured. What what remains slips away?"**

**"It won't." Xehanort waved his hand, summoning a pitch black portal through which he beckoned Vanitas. "I will not allow it to end that way." He walked through the corridor and it shut. His voice, however, still boomed through the sky. "In the world we are going to, you will find a youthful child bearing a heart of pure light. You will claim this heart as residence for Ventus' to grow. As he feeds off of the excess light, I will train you in more practical ways."**

**Vanitas looked around in confusion. "Understood. How do I follow you there?"**

**"Call upon the darkness," The man's raspy, disembodied voice beckoned, "You are darkness, and it is the only thing that will lead you to prosperity in the worlds."**

**Vanitas thought for a moment. He lifted his hand slowly, his mind attempting to render the negativity needed to spawn a dark corridor. And, so, he felt his first emotion; Ambivalence.**

**That's how existence made him feel. What he felt all the time, for the rest of time. Ambivalence is a clash. A clash of two, many more, or even all emotions at once. A painful blend of fear, anger, or confusion, with safety, acceptance, or comprehension. Even the word sounds conflicted and pained. And why wouldn't it be? What would you feel if you were told you were created solely for the sake of a violent, painful clash?**

**Vanitas stepped through the dark corridor. He didn't see it, but a slimy, blue creature spawned as the portal closed. Forged from his ambivalence was this scrawny, fast, anxious flood of feelings. A monster.**

_**Destiny Islands**_

**Vanitas exited the portal, walking up beside Xehanort. "Where to?" He asked, his voice still monotone.**

**"I will bring Ventus to a more isolated location. A deserted one. There, I will await completion of your task." Xehanort walked off, a cloak growing around him and masking his face. That was that. As the sun set, Vanitas walked in the opposite direction, towards the town.**

**As he walked, he thought about things. New questions arose. His purpose, his emotions, his mind, it all seemed very new. As he entered the small village of wooden huts, he saw lights flicking off for the night. He saw two young boys hanging around outside of a home. While one was about two years of age, the other seemed to be roughly half of a year. While the smaller of the two slept, leaning against the fence they were inside of, the other played with a wooden sword. He held it above his head, smacking it against a punching bag and grunting like a fantasy hero. **

**The boy stopped when he saw Vanitas. He turned to him, his eyes widening. He stepped back some. Vanitas tilted his head slowly. "What are you so afraid of boy?" He stepped closer some. "Tell me your name."**

**The boy looked timid, as if he were trying to stop shaking. "R-Riku."**

**"Riku?" Vanitas walked forwards, stepping over the tiny gate. "That's a nice name." He placed his hand on his chest. "I am Vanitas."**

**Riku raised his wooden blade as Vanitas slowly crept closer. "A-Are you gonna hurt us?"**

**Vanitas ignored the question, cracking his neck left, then right. He stopped and crouched in front of the boy. "Who's your friend?"**

**Riku looked hesitant. "Sora." He said slowly.**

**Vanitas walked towards Sora and placed his fingertips on the child's heart. He stole them back quickly. They seared with pain upon contact with the boy., and he took the back as quickly as he'd placed them down.**

**"Figures," He spoke through the helmet, "That a light bulb would burn."**

**Vanitas heard a shout over his shoulder. Riku had swung the sword towards his back. He quickly spun, catching it in his left hand. He ripped it out of Riku's grip, and the boy fell to the ground, crab walking away from Vanitas until he collapsed on the side of the building. "Are you a monster!?" Riku yelled.**

**"Oh no," Vanitas said as his mask began to dissipate. As it faded away, an entirely black mess of solely shadows and two beady red eyes glared at Riku. "I'm far worse." He stood, towering over the child. "I'm a nightmare. And, nightmares, they have nothing to fear." He walked towards the helpless boy. "Monster, you can kill them before they kill you. But a nightmare?" Vanitas kneeled in front of the child, placing his hand on his scalp. "You can't do anything about us."**

**"Why are you here!?" Riku demanded, tears beginning to form on his eyes.**

**"Because someone out there needs Sora's help." Vanitas sighed, "And I'm here to deliver- Now, sleep boy." Riku's eyelids suddenly began to fall, and as Vanitas lifted his hand, he passed out.**

**Vanitas stood, tossing the sword to Riku's feet. "Pathetic." He walked over to Sora and crouched. "Only one thing left to do." He put his palm on Sora's chest. It hurt, but he didn't care. "Forge the connection..." His hand began to shake. "Seal the keyhole!" He didn't know where the words came from, but they possessed him as he took the light from Sora. "Open the door."**

**Sora breathed a heavy sigh, and a trail of light fell out of his lips. It flew across the island, to somewhere new. But before it could, it went through Vanitas' chest. He touched his heart as he felt flesh growing onto his face. He felt hair grow, a face form, all in a second. He stood up, beckoning a dark corridor and letting his mask return to him. **

**He heard a woman's voice from inside of the house. "Riku! Sora!" It shouted. He left through the corridor. Riku's mother exited the building as it shut. She didn't see it in the dead of night. She crouched over her son. "Aww."**

**He slowly woke up. "M-Mom?" He sat up and hugged her.**

**"Good morning sweetie." She looked concerned. "Is everything ok?"  
**

**"Yeah," Riku said hazily. "J-Just a bad dream."**


	2. The Keyblade Graveyard

_**THE KEYBLADE GRAVEYARD:**_

**Vanitas exited the dark corridor to Destiny Islands and let it close. He looked around in the dead silence for Xehanort. He wasn't used to seeing this way. Since he'd grown a face, for the first time, he could see more than a red blur. He saw the place he was in was almost entirely a flatland. In the distance there were a few mountains, as well as a field of... keys? He found it odd. He didn't pay attention to it, though- instead he decided to take off his helmet and view the world proper. **

**As he did so, he felt spiky hair fall all over. The back, however, remained standing up. He was confused, and attempted (with no success) to pet it down. It made a small "flomp" as he did. He put his arm down and continued to observe for a few seconds, until he heard a small fwish. He felt the back of his head. The hair was up again. He pushed it down. Fwomp. Fwish. Fwomp. Fwish.**

**He gave up, summoning his helmet back to his face. Suddenly from behind, he heard a small, slippery scratching noise. He turned to face the source and saw a tiny blue monster. He fell back with a confused yelp. Holding his hands up as if to protect himself.**

**"Pathetic."**

**Vanitas stumbled and turned to see Xehanort standing behind him. "Stop that!" He stood up while facing Xehanort. He turned to look at the monster. "What is it?"**

**"It does not yet have a name," Xehanort explained, passing him, "But I suppose it would be adequate to give it one, wouldn't it?" He keeled to look the creature in the eye. It backed away a little, seemingly afraid. "It was spawned from you."**

**"Me?" Vanitas pointed at his face. "But... How? Why?"**

**Xehanort stood. He didn't look at Vanitas, but also ignored the small animal in front of him. "It is a side-effect of your fledgling emotion." He turned towards Vanitas. "You are darkness, and from darkness are born hearts. Somehow, it appears, nature translated your odd state of existence into... this." He looked at the being. "I suppose it demands a title. As it is a result of my science, I shall be the one to choose it. And, as it is an element of you, I shall name it after you. I shall call it an Unversed."**

**"Unversed?"**

**Xehanort chuckled to himself. "Yes, boy." He turned to face Vanitas. "Unversed. Untaught. Idiotic." He turned and walked past Vanitas. "Annoying."**

**Vanitas looked at Xehanort as he passed. It was the first time he'd really gotten a good examination of his face. Xehanort was a tall, somewhat brown, bald man in nearly monochrome dark attire. Vanitas hadn't ever seen his face, but he knew how it looked just from hearing the voice. **

**Then what Xehanort was actually saying processed to him. Annoying. A small, gelatinous, mushroom-shaped Unversed appeared beside Xehanort. It symbolized pain. In this case an aphysical burn, but a burn nonetheless.**

**Xehanort smiled. "Yes, that is what I need. More of them. We must have a legion." Xehanort stopped and held the small Unversed in his hand. "These will be what we use to prepare Ventus."**

**Xehanort crushed the small pink unversed in his hand. Vanitas winced. He fell to the ground with a scream, clutching his chest. Two blue variants of the same Unversed flew over Vanitas' head. **

**Xehanort didn't look back at Vanitas. "Yes, I do suppose that would figure. It appears that the unversed function as a physical extension of you."**

**"So it does." The boy remarked somewhat sarcastically, not standing up.**

**Xehanort turned his head and looked at Vanitas. "Stand, child."**

**Vanitas worked his way off of the ground, talking to Xehanort through gritted teeth. "So, old man, what're you planning? Why do we need the Unversed?" Vanitas put his second foot on the ground. "Just what do we have to ****_prepare_**** Ven for?"**

**Xehanort paused. "Darkness waits, child." He turned towards him. "On this land, a great war shall transpire," He slowly raised his arms, his voice getting louder as he did. "The darkness will prevail, and the light, EXPIRE!" He held his hands entirely outstretched.**

**Vanitas squinted through the helmet. "By any chance, were you a theater ki-"**

**"But before, there are steps to be taken." Xehanort ignored him, turning back around. He returned to his relaxed posture. "In order to obtain the weapon needed to wage our war, there must be a clash between yourself and Ventus. I have brought him to reside with an old friend of mine named Eraqus. There, he will train and become stronger over the next four years." He gestured towards Vanitas. "You will do the same with me."**

**Vanitas crossed his arms. "We're supposed to fight? I don't even have a weapon." **

**"I suppose that is correct." Xehanort summoned a sword in his hand. It was entirely black and grey, and shaped the same as the key-objects some distance away. "I nearly forgot. In the future, I will be more decisive in maintaining the gears of my machine." He turned towards Vanitas, handing him the key sword. "In your hand, take this key."**

**Vanitas looked at it confusedly. "Uh... Okay." He grabbed the helm.**

**"So long as you have the makings," Xehanort continued, "Then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall be."**

**Xehanort dropped his hand from the blade, while Vanitas continued to hold it. He tossed it in the air and grabbed it, having spun it so he could hold it right. It dissipated, only to be replaced a second later by a new blade- A red and black one with a similar blue eye.**

**"Hmph." Vanitas looked the blade over. "What's it called?"**

**"A keyblade."**

**"Neat." He let the blade vanish. "Now how about the other question? How do you wanna use the Unversed?"**

**"Well, to be blunt about it, one cannot simply be taught to use the keyblade. Not in a humane way, at least." Xehanort looked Vanitas dead in the eye. "Once his training alongside Eraqus' other pupils is complete, we will pit him against the Unversed and make him stronger." Vanitas now saw why Xehanort had locked eyes with him so aggressively. 'Try and object,' they asked. He didn't. Xehanort scoffed at him. "Do not worry. You will be pit against similar entities before you must face him."**

**Xehanort waved his hand. Fourteen or fifteen unrecognizable creatures rose around Vanitas. They were unlike Unversed- Solid black with the exception of vivid blue veins and golden eyes with humanoid figures and long antennaes. He summoned his keyblade as Xehanort looked at him with a coy smile. "Now what!?" Vanitas asked.**

**"The Heartless." Xehanort's grin held strong. "Pitiful creatures who's hearts have submit to the darkness. Destroy them, boy, and show me your strength!**

**Vanitas' eyes shot from one Heartless to the next. He charged at one, swiping it three times before it bounced back. The other Heartless began to swarm in. He waved his blade in a circle around him, knocking every being backwards and onto the ground. Meanwhile, the first Heartless he struck made its way back to him and clawed at his back. He fell to his knees in the crowd of heartless. **

**A light blue Unversed like the one that Xehanort had crushed flew up behind Vanitas as the old man's face became displeased****. "Feeble," he scoffed, shaking his head. "Show me your power!"**

**As Vanitas snarled beneath his helmet, a second Unversed spawned beneath the gliding one. This one looked to be a scrapper, with three giant claws on each hand and a helmet-like head shape.**

**"The Unversed will assist you in combat." Xehanort shouted from the sidelines. A Heartless lunged itself at Vanitas. "Go!" Xehanort shouted.**

**Vanitas swung his blade towards the enemy, destroying it. He stood and face the crowd of 13 in front of him. The Unversed jumped to his side and he began to panic. He grabbed the flying one and tossed it at the second to rightmost enemy, the picked up the scrapper by the ankles and swung him at the few farthest left. Only the one that the small Unversed was thrown towards was actually slain, but the twelve remaining still worked there way towards Vanitas. **

**While he wasn't looking, one of the Heartless swiped across his chest. Xehanort put his hand in his palm. He teleported behind the fallen Vanitas quickly. "Too slow," The elder insulted.**

**Vanitas stood as a red and green gelatinous Unversed spawned. He saw three of the remaining enemies fall into the ground, transforming into shadows on the floor. The shadows moved beneath him, and he was forced to think fast. He mimicked Xehanorts teleport to get a few feet out of the way, then swung at all three Heartless as they rose from the floor, knocking them to and fro.**

**Xehanort raised an eyebrow with a small grin. "Perhaps you _aren't_ worthless, then." He scoffed to show his sarcasm.**

**A red and green variant of the gelatinous Unversed rose up behind a Heartless, swooping down on it and destroying it. It then flew left, then right, destroying the Heartless on either side.**

**Xehanort's nose flinched. He looked displeased. He snapped his fingers and all of the remaining Heartless disappeared. "No more Unversed." The creatures flew to the sidelines the second they heard his demand. "Fight for yourself, or suffer." Nine entities rose from beneath the ground. There were three kinds, three of each. More Heartless, Vanitas assumed. Three of them appeared to have 'spines' on their backs and to be made of earth. A good match for the environment around. The second kind appeared to be made predominantly of water, and the third of fire. They all shared those piercing eyes.**

**"Use magic," Xehanort demanded, "And destroy them!"**

**Vanitas hardly knew how. He tried to think of what using magic would be like, before he realized he had. That boy- Riku- He'd cast a sleeping spell on him without even knowing it. His demand came true with the feeling of power. So, he tried to imagine that same sense of power and strength. A fireball was shot towards him, and he jumped leftways. He quickly tried to think of ways to get that same superiority. Then he got it.**

**He straightened his back, held his blade above his head, and imagined he were just that boy back on Destiny Islands playing make believe. He felt a rush of strength. He ran toward the enemies, jumped above the water based ones, and shouted, "THUNDER!" as he blanketed them in electricity. He rushed down and swung the keyblade three times, defeating one enemy per hit. He focused next on the earth based enemies creeping towards him. **

**He cast, "FIRE!" And a large orb of flame slowly edged towards the enemies. As it did, one of them tunneled beneath the earth. The ball suddenly divided into three smaller bullets, each searching for a target. Two of them hit the earth Heartless on the surface, but one of them trailed off. It eventually hit one of the fire Heartless, fully engulfing it in embers. It began flying around the place at hyper speed, and as Vanitas watched and tried to plan an attack, the third earth enemy rose from beneath the ground, striking him into the air. He was then hit a second time by the flaring fire enemy.**

**He quickly recovered from within the air, trying to remain in the fight. He shot five ice attacks out, one at a time, towards his enemies. Two of them went to the earth Heartless, killing them both. The other three froze the fire enemies as they flew.**

**He tried to think of a visually exciting way of finishing them off in order to please Xehanort. He dived into the ground in the same way he saw the Heartless do. He then rose up between the three remaining Heartless, spinning and shooting fire in all directions, and destroying them once and for all.**

**Xehanort grinned. "Satisfactory," He said, "But what about a more prominent threat?" A giant Heartless rose from a glob of shadow on the ground. It had a giant heart shape made from the space within its chest and sprawling 'hair' that barely revealed two yellow eyes. It was about four times Vanitas' height.**

**Vanitas took a couple steps back, away from the beast. "No..." He fell down.**

**Xehanort looked at him without pity. "It is called a Darkside. When the opportunity presents itself, aim for the head. When it does not, the hands will be sufficient. **

**Vanitas looked at it. He rose from the ground, regaining his posture, but backing away a couple steps. The Darkside slammed its fist into the ground, and Vanitas jumped out of the way. A mess of shadow was summoned beneath the hand, out of which several small Heartless rose. They weren't as big as the Heartless from the first wave, but still posed some threat. He jumped in the air and mimicked his thunder move from before, eliminating the small crowd of enemies right away. He turned back to the Darkside.**

**Xehanort rolled his eyes at the amount of effort. He gestured towards the Unversed, beckoning them into combat. "If you really need them, you may use them."**

**The four or so flying Unversed flew to the Darkside's head, obscuring his vision and dealing a substantial amount of hits in the process. The scrapper rushed to the Darkside's hand, now by his side, and jumped to deal a couple of hits a second. The Darkside backed away and swiped his hand at the four in front of his face, destroying them all and hurting Vanitas significantly in the process. Vanitas clutched his chest but remained standing.**

**The two foes stared one another down, Vanitas at critical stamina. The giant entity crushed the scrapper with one movement as two more red and green flying creatures spawned behind Vanitas. Vanitas ran towards the darkside and raised his blade, attempting to slam it down on the enemies head. However, midway through the slash, something stopped him midair.**

**He appeared, suddenly, in a white void. Xehanort, the Heartless, the Unversed, the graveyard, all of it was gone. He heard a voice from behind. "Ven? You look different."**

**Vanitas turned around. He saw a silver-haired boy in a red scarf that he recognized. "Ephemer?" He didn't know how, but he knew the boy from somewhere. He seemed to know a lot of odd things from somewhere or another. "Yeah. Maybe so."**

**"Do you need help?" Ephemer asked with his sweet smile.**

**Vanitas contemplated. "I think I do." He nodded.**

**Ephemer nodded back.**

**Suddenly Vanitas was returned to his place in the air. The keyblades from the distance rose from the ground and began to fly in one straight pathway. They flew past Xehanort and beneath Vanitas' feet, a vehicle for him. "The wielders..." Xehanort mumbled in awe as they flew past him. "Ride, boy!"**

**The coil of keyblades flew all around the Darkside. It circled around the monster a few times, repeatedly ramming into its hands and head. Eventually the enemy was defeated. The Darkside dissipated.**

**This training went on for four more years. Everyday Vanitas was subject again and again to fighting and pain. One day, about halfway through these years, he began to grow tired. He took the final hit on another Darkside, then collapsed. A crowd of small floating Unversed appeared behind him- Hundreds of thousands of them. He stood and looked at Xehanort. He walked towards the man, rage filling him. A dozen scrappers all formed by his feet. Behind him, three large black and blue Unversed with small feet and arms, and a large mouth shape on their stomach. Their red eyes showed his emotion now- Disdain. He was fed up.**

**"Enough!" He shouted, more Unversed of all four kinds spawning on any side of him at rapid-fire. "No more! I can't do this!"**

**Xehanort looked at the large group from afar. He warped directly in front of Vanitas' head, grabbing and holding his scalp. "You can. You will."**

**Vanitas struggled to free himself from Xehanorts grip. One of the small blue unversed jumped and slashed at Xehanort's face, but he caught it in his other palm. He crushed it, and Vanitas screamed. He tossed Vanitas back about a third of a mile, leaving him laying alone on the desolate ground. Xehanort snapped his fingers again and all of the Unversed exploded in a blaze of magenta glory. Vanitas screamed in pain as it happened.**

**Vanitas stood and ran towards Xehanort, slashing at him four times, but dealing no damage. It was as though his hits phased through the man. Xehanort fired three orbs of darkness at the boy, but he lunged himself out of the way, casting fire. Again, the attack did no harm. Xehanort grabbed him by the neck. Vanitas struggled, but to no avial. Another frail blue Unversed spawned at Xehanort's foot. He picked it up and slowly suffocated it in his palm. Xehanort crushed the Unversed, and Vanitas felt able to breathe again. Xehanort fired a golden orb into Vanitas' chest.**

**Vanitas felt a rush inside of him. "Remove your mask boy." Vanitas continued to try struggling away ****from Xehanort's grip, but to no avail. His mask dissipated. Xehanort saw pale blue eyes. He scoffed as the rush of energy grew inside of Vanitas.**

**"What's... Happening?" Vanitas put his hand to his face. His pale blue eyes grew into a gold golden tone, like that of the Heartless. He stopped struggling. It felt futile. **

**Xehanort dropped him. "The color compliments your hair." He grinned. A Darkside Heartless rose in front of Vanitas. Several other enemies spawned on every side of him. The cycle continued for two more years.**


End file.
